What are your pet peeves? Here are a few of mine

Maybe it's just our start-and-stop spring that's annoying me, but here's a list of some of my pet peeves.

Why can my phone sit silently as I toil at my office desk for hours on end, but as soon as I get up and walk across the newsroom, it will ring?

Why, if I'm only one of two guys in the locker room at the athletic club, will I be bumping elbows with the other guy, whose locker is right next to mine?

Why are so many products in plastic containers these days hard to open?

Speaking of plastic packages, why do hot dogs so often come in pouches of 10 while buns come in differing numbers?

Why does that one family in our neighborhood insist on parking so as to block the sidewalk so often when they have plenty of room in their driveway for their cars?

Speaking of parking on your property, why do so many people think nothing of driving up on the lawn adjacent to the driveway, making a muddy, ugly mess and detracting from the neighborhood?

Why do so many people not bother to take in their big blue garbage cans from the curb until a day or two—or more—after trash day?

Speaking of trash, how can so many people pull those blue bins to the curb without looking around, picking up litter on their lawns, terraces and gutters and tossing it in the cans?

Likewise, why do so many smokers insist on tossing their cigarette butts out their car windows? Each butt contains toxins that harm our environment. You want to smoke, fine; discard the butts at home. Also, when you're done with your cigarette pack, what makes you think you should just toss it out for someone else to pick up?

How can so many dog walkers be so inconsiderate as to let their dogs poop in parks or on sidewalks or terraces without carrying bags and picking it up? You're giving all of us dog owners a bad reputation.

Finally, back to my original point, why can't spring come in a nice, steady march rather than tease and tantalize us with starts and stops? I'm more than ready to enjoy some nicer weather. How about you?

Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.